ATLANTA — A planned full closure of Interstate 285 in west metro Atlanta has been rescheduled after Georgia Department of Transportation officials said weather prevented crews from moving forward with last weekend.

All northbound and southbound lanes on I-285 are scheduled to shut down between State Route 139/Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (Exit 9) and Cascade Road (Exit 7) in Fulton County beginning Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. It is expected to remain in place through Monday, May 18 at 5 a.m. while contractor crews rebuild a deteriorating section of the interstate, according to GDOT officials.

It is expected to remain in place through Monday, May 18 at 5 a.m. while contractor crews rebuild a deteriorating section of the interstate, according to GDOT officials.

The project involves replacing aging concrete slabs along a roughly 17-mile stretch of I-285 over the next three years, which requires multiple weekend closures.

“This $206 million effort is one of two major projects to repair and replace concrete slabs along the I-285 westside corridor. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2028,” GDOT officials said.

Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Natalie Dale previously said the contractor ultimately determined late Friday that weather conditions would not allow the lanes to be reopened in time for the Monday morning commute.

“They were not confident given the weather that they would be out of the road on Monday morning by 5 a.m.,” Dale said.

Officials said the project involves replacing aging concrete slabs along a roughly 17-mile stretch of I-285 over the next three years, which will require multiple weekend closures.

“These concrete slabs are roughly 60 years old and so they have well outlived their useful life,” Dale said. “Someone said I almost hit one that was the size of a two bedroom, two bath apartment.”

GDOT warned of potential heavy congestion on I-20, the Downtown Connector (I-75/I-85), and Langford Parkway (State Route 166), along with spillover traffic on local roads in southwest Atlanta and Fulton County.

Drivers are encouraged to allow extra travel time, consider alternate routes, and check traffic conditions before traveling using the 511GA app or navigation tools, officials said.

Detours will be clearly marked, GDOT officials say.

GDOT is urging drivers to use alternate routes during the closure:

• Drivers traveling on I-285 north should take I-85 by the airport to the downtown connector.
• Drivers traveling on I-285 south should take I-75 south through northwest Atlanta to the downtown connector.
• Drivers near the airport and I-20 should use Camp Creek Parkway or Thornton Road.
• The southbound I-285 traffic is expected to be diverted to I-20 at Exit 10 and then to I-75/I-85 southbound. Northbound traffic will be diverted to SR 166/Langford Parkway at Exit 5.

More information about the scheduled project is available on GDOT’s website.